Former Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon admitted that a downturn in the Bianconeri’s fortunes was inevitable, but insisted the squad was equal to those at AC Milan, Inter, and Napoli.
Since coach Massimiliano Allegri returned in the summer, Juventus have struggled for form and languish in seventh place in the Serie A table, whilst a nine-year grip on the Scudetto was ended by Inter last season.
In an interview with Sky Sport Italia, Buffon suggested that the Bianconeri would face difficulties sooner or later but stressed that the standard of players at the Allianz Stadium is amongst the highest in Italy.
“I think the downward trend was inevitable, but it’s also true that the arrival of a coach like Allegri suggested a new balance,” the 43-year-old argued.
“If I had to look at the Juventus players individually, they are amongst the top two or three clubs in the league and are certainly not inferior to Milan, Inter, or Napoli. It is then necessary to see if they can form a group and be a team though,” he added.
Buffon made 685 appearances for Juventus across two spells with the club, winning 10 Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia five times.
The Italian World Cup winner returned to former club Parma in Serie B this season, after initially representing them between 1995 and 2001.
